Greenville Department of Public Safety officers Sean Parsons, left, and Jess Dear stand alongside the new 2013 Dodge Charger V6 police cruiser, left, and one of the older police cruisers at the Greenville Department of Public Safety in Greenville Thursday morning.

A view from the front of the new 2013 Dodge Charger V6 shows the cruiser ready for action with emergency lights illuminated while parked at the Greenville Department of Public Safety vehicle garage in Greenville.

GREENVILLE — The Greenville Department of Public Safety has received its new police cruiser and it hit the city roads this week.

During an August Greenville City Council meeting, the council approved for the department to purchase a 2013 Dodge Charger for $22,277.89 from Grand Dodge, Jeep, Chrysler in Lowell, which was the lowest bidder in a 100-mile radius.

Greenville Department of Public Safety Director Michael Pousak said this type of vehicle was recommended by the driving division of the Michigan State Police.

A view of the interior of the new 2013 Dodge Charger V6 police cruiser for the Greenville Department of Public Safety shows the cruiser fully equipped with the necessary equipment to be used by the department.

He explained the officers are trained for rear-drive cars, and the new Ford models are mostly all-wheel or front-wheel drive.

“In the future, they are all going to be all-wheel or front-wheel, which will require additional training for the officers,” Pousak said.

The police department purchased a new cruiser to replace an older one that had logged many miles and was showing wear and tear from extensive use.

The department transferred all the equipment it was able to from the old cruiser to the new one, however, some new items were needed to be installed.

“We have some fine tuning to do on the electronics,” he said. “But it is road worthy.”

Compared to the old cruisers, the Dodge Charger has a V6 engine, unlike the Ford models that contain a V8.

The Ford cruiser that the Charger is replacing will become Pousak’s car. He does not respond to emergency situations that would require all of the equipment. Pousak’s current cruiser will be auctioned off.

“The (officers) are loving it,” Pousak said of the Dodge Charger. “It has been really well received.”

Including the Charger, there are five fully-equipped vehicles that are part of the departmen’s fleet.

Three officers are assigned to each of the vehicles.

“It’s nice to have new equipment that assists in providing an efficient response to help us provide good service to our community,” said Jamie Sorsen, a Greenville Public Safety Officer assigned to the new Charger.

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